Cultural and Political Developments of the Medieval and Ancient Eras - Essay Example

Cultural and Political Developments of the Medieval and Ancient Eras Between 5000- 6000 years ago, civilization set in. This is at a time when people in various parts of the world started to live in communities’ that were organized with different cultural, political, religious, economic and social structures. Civilization in the context of the west is the main focus of this essay. It basically is said to have been initiated in the Europe continent. (Spielvogel, 2010) Ancient form civilization is regarded as the western civilization basis. It is also the basis of the globe one has knowledge about in the recent times. Ancient civilization is built on the ruins of over ten thousand years of advanced cultures. Medieval era is the longest major period in the history of Europe. It set in from the 5th century through the 15th century. Civilization is taken to refer to the duration of time immediate subsequent to the Iron Age. It is also that period which witnessed the caving in of the renowned Western Roman Empire as well as the big European migration. It precedes the early modern era. It is overly complex and the developments that took place during these times form key elements that separate it from the classical civilization of Greece and Rome that it replaced and today’s world. Life during the medieval era was perceived to be ruder and primitive than that of periods of classical civilization. During the medieval era, the society was dominated by a militant, single exclusive religion, there was great difference given to authority and there was a decline of the centralized rule which led to the development of petty principalities. (histclo.com, 2010) POLITICAL AND CULTURAL DEVELOPMENTS OVER THE PERIOD OF ANCIENT AS WELL AS MEDIEVAL TIMES The medieval as well as the ancient eras are taken to mean not only a period of time but also a situation of consciousness; that is, a cultural situation of humans. Three preeminent cultural influences were experienced in western civilization between BC 3250 and AD 1500. The early civilization of imperial Rome left traces of a cultural impact that was proven very powerful. The Germanic tribes also left a major cultural imprint forming the hallmarks of western civilization. The church-The coming of the religion of Christianity The historical Rome Empire is regarded the core of the Christian Church founding. During the reigns of emperors, Christians were constantly suppressed. The old fathers of the church carried out their operations in this chaotic environment. With the Constantine’s arrival, the church started being the official religion practiced in that empire. The church, being the official religion, started suppressing other rival creeds. It brought about new ethical concepts which resulted into moral responsibilities for individuals which were previously missing. The worldliness of pagan culture was strongly rejected by the church’s asceticism because of the influence the church got from the empire. Most of the aspects of the church’s organization were a mirror to the empire’s organization. The setting of Christian dioceses clearly represented the political structure of the empire. Important local officials found it necessary to have powerhouses in their territories. The winning barbarian side took over Christianity which happened apparently be a religion losers’ empire. This happened as on of the most remarkable of the triumphs by Christianity. Leaders were converted to Christianity through persuasion in the form of princely fiat, election, shamanistic vision and missionary zeal. Only a few Europeans were Christianized by conquest. Many features of the church differed from those of the ancient church. The cult of saints and the confessions were some of the major differences. Previously, confessions were done by the most deeply pious and it had the aspect of tarriffed penances based on penitentials. The survival of medieval penitential’s provided a wealthy source of information to socialists concerning the intimates of everyday life. The church became a major unifying factor in European cultural influence. When the church became the official religion in Europe, it helped preserve selections from Latin learning, provided centralized administration through its bishop networks and maintained the art of writing. Its impact was strongly felt in Europe although some people remained with little or no contact of Christianity and the classical Roman culture being capable of causing major disruptions of the newly emerging Western Europe societies. It is also during the medieval times that monasticism rose within the Western Europe. The monasticism factor was to a high extent directed by notions as well as traditions that came about from the deserts of Syria and Egypt. It spread extensively in the continent of Europe and had a very deep impact upon the religious and the political characteristics of the olden Middle Ages. In addition, it became the main outpost of literacy and education in the region. Renaissance of Carolingian The core of the revival of culture happened to be the Charlemagne’s court found in Aachen. This is what is to be identified by the expression the Renaissance of Carolingian. This was a time in history that was to see a rise in literacy levels, advancements in liturgical and the scriptural studies development, steps ahead in architecture, jurisprudence and arts. This was caused by the after-effect of inviting Alcuin, an English Monk to the area of Aachen who introduced education of classical Latin and that was further made available in Northumbrian monasteries. The coming back of the education of Latin is taken as the most vital of the steps in the advancing Medieval Latin. Carolingian minuscule is the current name of the type of script that was used by Charlemagne’s chancery to provide a common writing style which allowed Europe to have a means of communication. At the point of Carolingian dynasty’s collapsing, Saxon dynasty came about in Germany with the accompaniment of Ottomans’ Renaissance. There were a big number of shares of this empire among the sons of Louis which had the ramifications of numerous civil battles. There was a three year civil war on the death of Cremeiux which led to Louis from Germany being in control. East Francia is what is now referred to as the Kingdom of Germany while the other side of West Francia is what is called French kingdom. This is the reason why the Western Europe history can be referred to as the scramble for the attaining of control over the middle kingdom. Afterwards, the empire of Carolingians was brought down and this saw its demise followed by the bearing of the Empire of Rome from the tradition of imperialism. On the fall of the Empire, Germany and France became separate indipedent states with their own territorial controls. (histclo.com, 2010) The Setting in of feudalism system Subsequent to the caving in of Roman Empire arose the feudal system in Europe after. The feudalism was an economic and social system founded on the allotting of land pieces in exchange for fealty as well as service provision. This feudalism was based upon noblemen who later became barons who were granted land by the then king. The land became one which could be property inheritable among generations in a family. In this system, the church was also granted land. The price for the land was to pledge loyalty to the king and provide supplies and soldiers in times of war. The noble men in turn divided their obligation among lesser knights and lords who became the king’s vassals. The system relied on labour from the lowest rank of the social order. Most Europeans were peasants who were allowed to work in the lands of the noble men for crops and labour when required. As the feudalism advanced, the serfs were attached to the allotted land and also were not permitted to leave without the consent of the lord. By the coming of the 16th century, feudalism started fall in parts in the area of Eastern Europe and Western Europe but persistence was more witnessed in the Eastern. It did not happen until the setting in of the 19th century that the Serfs of Russia were made free. The revolution in the 20th century saw the breaking up of the feudal system. The principle of organizing of various central Europe as well as rural western regions was called the Manorialism. It was initiated in the villa system was in the then gone Roman Empire. Money based market economies replaced it together with agrarian contracts. Placing of economic as well as legal powers in the lord happened to be the major feature of the Manorialism. From the economic point of view, it was given a hand by its own direct form of landholding. It was the practice even following the demise of feudalism. (histclo.com, 2010) The dispersing of the feudalism’s practices among people was a very vital occurrence of the society. Varying kinds of constitutional governments came about. As a result of new ideas, there was great resistance and defiance to the feudal lord. Early representative institutions developed and there was awareness to the rights of majority. (middle-ages.org.uk, 2011) The Expansion of Ottoman The Ottoman expansion resulted in the hundred year’s war between England and France from 1337 to 1453 and the fall of the Byzantine. The initial stages of Ottoman domination emanated from a minute north western Anatolian principality to take up a large portion of southern Eastern Europe and Anatolia. The classical Islamic empires political and social institutions were mixed with those inherited from the great Turkish empire of central Asia and were reintroduced to characterize the area into modern times. Initially ottomans were leaders of Turkish warriors called Ghazi. The ghazis battled against the state of shrinking Christian Byzantin. A closer focus on the economic and political relations beteeen the Ottoman Empire and the capitalist world economy in the 19th Century reveales that they proceeded through disntict phases , separated by two turning points.Osman the founder ancestors were members of the kay tribe who has entered Anatolia along with a mass of Turkmen Oguz nomads. The war was the main cause of delay in the progress and prosperity in both countries involved. On the contrary, it strengthened royal authority in the two kingdoms and had a great influence in the development of modern nation-states. France, which was favoured by the war, finally established strong central government and incorporated the duchy of Burgunday which completed the unification of France. The war ended the English war aspirations on the Europe continent and enabled Ireland to develop virtual independence under English over lordship. In the battle of Bannockburn in 1314, the English forces lost Scotland temporarily which later developed into a strong state under Stuarts. The Revolt of Welsh was the result in the semi-independence of Wales in year 1400. After the hundred years war, there broke a civil war over the English throne between house of Lancaster and house of new York as the war of roses between 1455 and 1485. The war of roses resulted in the establishment of a central royal government that was very strong. The expansion continued despite the loss of territory after 1908. The emperor lost a quarter of its population and 10% of its land between the year 1911 and 1913. (medievaltimes.info, 2011) Central government’s Decentralization in Germany Contrary to France and England, political changes in Germany brought about further central government decentralization. After the disintegration of the Holy Roman Empire which was ruled by nobles’ often who claimed to be rulers that were independent, there was emergence of numerous petty states and the office of the Roman emperors was elective. During the period of the late medieval era, the Roman Emperors were elected either from the house of Luxembourg or the house of Habsburg. Italy was also not in any aspect, a nation state. The cities states dominated the Italian Peninsula with supremacy forming their basis of competition. In the midst of both the invasion of Italy as well as the collapse of the Frank’s kingdom, which was led by Charlemagne, a medieval Lombard state kingdom called the Lombard Kingdom was launched. There were two kingdoms namely Langobardia major and Langobardia minor in the northern central and south respectively which were controlled by the rulers effectively. The Lombard Kingdom developed over time to a greater authority of Sovereign notwithstanding that the dukes’ drive for autonomy was never harnessed fully and it’s the evaporation of its gradual character into the Kingdom of Italy. The Lombards slowly took up names, titles of Romans, as well as traditions and they eventually converted to orthodoxy, though, this was via a series of conflicts both religious and ethnic. (medievaltimes.info, 2011) Sparta and the launching of the league of Peloponnesian Sparta was characterized by a constitution as well as a very unique way of life. This peculiarity was not manifested in the early seventeenth century when Dorian city was ruled by wealthy aristocracy. The Spartans turned to conquest of the neighbouring country than the economic activity intensification. They reduced the Messenian to slavery who then revolted causing a bitter long war. The struggle resulted to Spartans converting their army to phalanx form compelling them to institute a rigid discipline to make the phalanx work. This was carried over into peace time until the Spartan polis became little more than barracks and citizens were transformed to something like standing army holding down a conquered territory. The Spartan constitution eventually came together to a unique blending of democracy, monarchy, and aristocracy. The royal families divided their kingship including the leadership of battle which was the most important one. An annually elected board that was given wide powers to control the citizens ran the day to day direction of the state. Citizens in entirety were forced to undergo military training and the tandem barracks’ way of life. Messenians and Pre-Dorian inhabitants were forced to work in lands to provide food for the Spartans who were allowed to eat from any army mess. On the strength of their military, the Spartans were able to defeat Greece in the sixth century before Christ. The progin of Peloponnesian league is traced in the sixteen century BCE when long rating military coalitions were concluded. An alliance known by the expression Spartans and their allies was an example. However, the Peloponnesian league did not cover the whole of Peloponnese as Argos and the city of Achaia never joined. But by the year 510 B.C the entire of Peninsula had come together. Generally, the Peloponnesian League had only one conservative goal: to maintain oligarchic. (Hardy, 1986 pp49-50) In conclusion it is imperative to not that the middle ages in western European history followed the separation of West Roman Empire in the 4th and 5th Century and pulled through up to the 15th Century. These transitions were gradual and exact dates for the Middle Ages are misleading though convention believes the period lies between the death of roman emperor and Theodosius I in 295 and fall of Rome in Visigoths in 410. The time period marked from 450 to 750 relates to the dark ages today known as middle ages. In high Middle Ages symbolically the church served as the link. Religious zeal was expressed in crusades this enhance security and intellectual life. Christian values were reflected in literature and scholarship specifically the literature of Latin contextually the Medieval Latin literature. The transition to modern world from the medieval was seen through by economic expansion, secularization as well as political centralization and a money economy and the period of exploration. After hundred years of war there emerged France and England and their modern nation state. The religious theories resulting to protestant reformation smashed the cohesiveness medieval of Christianity. Work Cited: Hardy, McNeill William. History of Western Civilization. University of Chicago press. (1986) pp49-50. histclo.com. The medieval era. (2010). Retrieved May 21 2011 http://histclo.com/chron/med/medieval.html medievaltimes.info. Political Changes in the Late middle Ages. (2011). Retrieved May 21 2011 http://www.medievaltimes.info/the-late-middle-ages/political-changes.html middle-ages.org.uk. European Feudalism. (2011). Retrieved May 21 2011 http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/european-feudalism.htm Spielvogel, Jackson J. Western Civilization: A Brief History. Edition 7, illustrated. Cengage Learning. (2010). Read More